Romance with a Bite

by Tamsin Baker

  “Drink the fennel, it will help you relax while I tend to your wounds.” She kneeled down behind him, gently touching his lacerations.

  Zev shuddered and let out a sigh.

  “My apologies for causing you pain, but I need to clean it properly, otherwise your body will burn with fever.”

  Lifting his hand, cupping her face, he gently brought her lips to his. He lingered there for a while, then he whispered, “My body is in pain, my sweet Hosidia, but I do not mean from the injuries received from today’s battle.”

  “My gladiator, first I am worried about your wounded body. Then we will satisfy the soul,” she said, smiling. She applied the unwashed wool to his sores.

  “Lie down for a while. I need the wool pressed against your shoulder.”

  No questions asked, Zev did what he was told.

  “This gladiator needs the beat of your heart on his. Come rest on me, my love.”

  Slowly, she moved closer and making sure she wouldn’t hurt him, delicately lay on top of him, her hands around his neck, her ear on his chest. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the beat of his heart.

  “How does it feel to be free?” she asked.

  “I’ve had no time to think about that. I wanted to finish my last duties and hurry to you.” His voice was matter-of-fact.

  “Did you get all your papers signed?” she asked, as she rested her head on his chest.

  “Starting tomorrow I will be training the new slaves as gladiators. Once I have enough denarii, I will make an offer for your freedom.” He tightened his embrace of Hosidia. He had plans for the both of them, and he could see a bright future in Africa, away from all the blood of Rome.

  ROME 79 BC Segana, High Priestess and Vampire

  “Sanguis ipsius erit in sanguine meo.” “His blood will be my blood.”

  She had been patient long enough. As of tonight, Zev, the glorious gladiator, would belong to her. She had waited years for this. Segana never felt love, but when she found a man she wanted to possess, she always had her way. Zev had caught her eye since the first moment he had been brought to her to use as a sex toy. She was confident that from tonight forward he would belong to her, body and soul. The deal with the emperor was done. She had kept him mortal until his time as a slave gladiator was done. During his years of slavery, if he had died in combat, she had the freedom to resurrect him. During his years of slavery, she had been assured of his sexual favours.

  She was a vampire and that wasn’t enough for her. She had the urge to possess him, to make Zev hers for eternity.

  Being the high priestess had its own advantages. No one ever questioned her life in the underground temple. For the past seven years, after every battle he’d won, Zev had been brought to her. She knew she shared him with the high society women, but that only happened after she’d had her fill. But tonight, all that would come to an end. He would be only hers and she would share him only once he was well-trained in the demands of his new life.

  The sun had disappeared a while ago, and she didn’t understand why he hadn’t been brought to her yet. Her guards were unable leave the temple and search for him in the daylight. The task was impossible.

  Even the temple’s cat, which she’d named Damned, was pacing up and down. Segana walked to the marble fountain under the high window, and in the moonlight looked at her reflection on the water. She was pleased with what she saw. For the Romans, she was divine. The high priestess who would pray for their lack of sexual desire. But she was more than just a priestess. She was more than any of their gods. She was Segana, the old priestess who had been turned into a vampire many moons before. She’d never forgotten the hatred she’d felt when she was turned. Though she saw the world change, she had a powerful maker from which to learn.

  A knock at her temple’s door brought her back to reality.

  “High Priestess Segana, might I be granted permission to enter?”

  This was the moment for which she’d been waiting. The emperor’s favourite concubine coming to bring her Tenebris, as promised.

  She pushed the big door wide open with so much strength that the frame trembled.

  “Where is he?”

  “The papyrus has been signed and he is no longer a slave. He refuses to come.”

  She grabbed the concubine by the throat, bringing her fangs out, sinking them into her slender neck. The girl’s body shook as Segana sucked her blood. She sucked until the last drop, the drained body now lifeless. With all her strength, she threw it with rage towards the wall. The once very young and healthy body dissolved into dust.

  “From ashes to ashes.” And with that, Segana went in search of Zev.

  It had been hundreds of years since Segana had ventured out of her temple—her victims and fuck boys had always been brought to her. But this betrayal wasn’t going to be easily forgotten. She would make the emperor pay very dearly.

  Zev’s sweet and spicy aroma was forever branded in her senses. He had been the best human fuck she’d ever had, and once she turned him, he would be unmatchable. She was sure of that. The scene before her eyes wasn’t one she ever wanted to see again. That pitiful slave girl on top of Zev, enjoying the body of her gladiator. She didn’t care about sharing him with her, or anyone else, but only after she was well satisfied.

  No, Segana wasn’t going to have it.

  Vampires made no sound, and in a flash, she was there next to them.

  This was where their amorous fun ended. She grabbed Hosidia by the neck and pulled her away from him.

  “What are you?” He jumped to his feet, his glorious manhood quickly limp. Before he could do anything, with her free hand Segana grabbed him by the arm and threw him across the room.

  She moved her hand from Hosidia’s neck to her waist, ignoring her whimpering, and turned to face Zev. By the time he could reach them, it would be too late.

  Her fangs out, she bent down on the slender, white neck. The slave’s fate had been sealed the moment she’d been found with Zev. She started sucking Hosidia’s blood. So sweet and thick. The more she sucked, the less life was left in her.

  Once Zev reached her, she stopped sucking and smiled up at him.

  “Apologies, Gladiator. You can have her now.” She knew he was too preoccupied with saving his little slave to fight her.

  Zev pulled Hosidia into his arms just as her body shattered. He looked at his empty hands, the dusty ashes falling at his feet. Every part of her body had disintegrated, except her heart. Tears trickled down his face as he grabbed the only part of her still intact.

  “You are going to meet your maker,” he said, rising from the ground and reaching for Segana.

  Like the wind, she moved around him, making it impossible for Zev to touch her, or even see her.

  “You should have met me as I requested. Things would have turned out a bit differently.”

  Before he could turn around, she grabbed him by his arms. Her grip was strong, more powerful than the gladiator.

  “You could have fucked your little slave. But after you had come to me. I just want to be obeyed!”

  “What are you?” There was no fear in his voice and that excited Segana even more.

  “I am your maker.” With that, she sank her fangs into his neck, sucking the blood from his veins. He would become a vampire. Zev would have no choice and he would belong to her for eternity.

  She dropped him on the ground and left him there. He was hers now. Zev exhibited no sign of life, but his hand still gripped the heart of his beloved. Segana grabbed it, and swallowed it whole.

  “All gone.” She cleaned her mouth with the back of her hand, then looked over to his motionless body.

  “Welcome to your damnation, Zev.”

  CHAPTER 1

  ROME 2019 Vampires among humans

  Since the end of World War II, vampires had started making an appearance in human society. At first, many crossed paths with humans by mistake, or bad timing. Slowly, what had started as an old wives’ tale about vampires
among humans started to become an everyday reality. Their population was growing and after the war, humans were malnourished and with poor quality blood. For many years, humans tried to fight the vampires, while not knowing that at the same time vampires were fighting each other as well.

  The Power Sublime, the ruling body of vampire society, passed a law that condemned any vampire who would attack or kill humans. But it wasn’t until the year 1983 that the Power Sublime and the heads of state of all countries signed a treaty whereby humans would be educated in regards to all things vampire, and vampires were ordered to respect humans while living as neighbours. Failing to obey, they would be condemned to death without a trial.

  In time, both humans and vampires learned to work together, combining their respective strengths. Science had come a long way, scientists had invented ways for vampires to live a life like any human. Well, almost. The only thing that science hadn’t developed yet was reproduction.

  Of course, there were still those who belonged to the Resistance. Any society has an element who refuses to live within the law and vampires were not different. Those who refused to live lives as normal beings and became renegades. They proved a huge problem for human government officials and for the Power Sublime of vampires. The renegades were happy to hide in the dark, always on the hunt for human blood. Unfortunately, they didn’t stop at just biting the humans, they would kill, and sometimes even turn them into vampires. But the majority chose to live a life in the light and enjoy what that opportunity had to offer.

  Thanks to all the drugs and supplements of synthetic or animal blood, vampires could live a normal life to human standards without the cost of human life. Special, thick, blue-coloured contact lenses were invented to give them the opportunity to be out in the day, in addition to different choices of vitamins and creams that protected them from the rays of the sun. To keep their bodies at human temperature, scientists developed a pill called Fiestafruit, allowing them to be warm to the touch.

  The strongest vampires worked with many security corporation and were given the opportunity to work as bodyguards since their strength was something that human didn’t possess. No one could say the world was perfect, but the majority co-existed in harmony and went about their everyday lives.

  But it wasn’t until the year 2000 that laws were passed that stated vampires and humans were permitted to have an intimate relationship. Some humans didn’t accept that, but like everything else, racism was a battle that was hard to win quickly. The hype of 2019 was for young humans to be bitten by vampires as a sexual turn-on, but the majority were happy to just get by every day, living a normal life.

  ROME 2019 Zev

  Meow… Meow… Multiplied by seven.

  “Good morning, my little lions, Daddy will get your breakfast ready.” Still in his boxers and robe, Zev walked to the fridge, trying not to trip on the hungry cats weaving between his ankles. With a quick movement, he opened the refrigerator door and grabbed the container of prepared meat. Before he could close the door, one of the cats jumped inside.

  “This is becoming a morning ritual for you, you little carnivore,” he said, taking the cat out the fridge, and pushing the door shut with his foot. He brought the wily feline up to his nose and kissed it on the head, thinking back to the time he was alive and human, but also inhuman, as a killer of both gladiators and lions in the arena.

  “No matter how many of you strays I’m going to save, the guilt of killing your ancestors will never leave.” He placed the cat on the floor.

  “Play with your brothers and sisters so I can prepare your breakfast.” He started filling the seven small, round bowls.

  The apartment was still dark as he made his way to his own training room. Training was the self-control, discipline and work ethic Zev had cultivated throughout most of his existence. It gave him mental clarity, especially before setting foot in the arena. Nothing compared to the training camps of old, ancient Rome, but this had to do. Today was back and calves, but first he stepped onto the treadmill for some cardio. Fifteen minutes at a brisk pace would get his heart rating going for sure. He smiled. He hadn’t felt his heart beating since he’d been turned, but old habits die hard, and most times he could forget he was a vampire and his thought process would operate as if he were still human.

  With a small hand towel around his neck, more for wiping sweat from his hands than anything else, he concentrated on pull-ups to train his back and his biceps. He pulled the bar as hard as he could, until he could feel all the muscles of his back stretch, then followed with barbell rows, then concentrated on his calves. Next, he jumped on the stationary bike for fifteen minutes, then to conclude, he’d skip rope. His thoughts drifted back to when he would train with the Dottore at his Dominus’ villa. If he closed his eyes, he could still hear the clank of clashing swords.

  In the shower, he turned the water so hot that it almost burned his skin. Resting both hands on the tiled wall, he closed his eyes and remembered when Hosidia would splash warm water on his back after he had been fighting in the Coliseum… 2098 years felt like only yesterday. So many things had happened, so many internal tears. Living for centuries as a vampire wasn’t easy.

  He’d faced many challenges, like refusing to drink human blood, and living in darkness wasn’t an easy task. Thankfully now things were different, and vampires were able to lead an almost normal life.

  He towelled himself dry, wrapped it around his hips, and moved to the mirror to shave. He looked at his reflection and had to laugh. The myth wasn’t true. The next step was the special contact lenses, which would allow him to see in the daylight. He still couldn’t get used to the colour. Azure. Next he pulled on his pants, followed by a white shirt and his tailored jacket. The suit fit like a glove, completely different than the tunic from his previous human life.

  Once ready, he took his daily vitamins made from herbs from the Black Sea, which protected him from the sun and daylight. At the touch of a button, he opened the shutters to give the cats access to the window views. As he turned towards the kitchen, he noticed the black lace camisole under the recliner.

  What the fuck? Leaving mementos around his place wasn’t going to make him desire Segana. He did what he had to do for survival, although as a vampire, was he really a survivor? Or just a damned soul? Segana wasn’t going anywhere and he would have to deal with her sexual need for him. She had always been a woman who many wanted, but the thought of fucking her gave him a queasy and uncomfortable tinge of nausea. The burning anger in the pit of his stomach had been alight for many centuries. She was pure evil, and stopped at nothing to obtain what she wanted.

  Him.

  “Fucking bitch,” he muttered as he grabbed the camisole and threw it into the rubbish bin. Her obsession with him had cost his beloved Hosidia her life. He thumped the kitchen table so hard the bowl in the middle almost flipped over.

  No matter how much I miss you, I do not want you to come back again. Through the centuries Hosidia had reincarnated three times, and though he was the only one who recognised his soul mate, his possessive maker inevitably killed her every time. A part of him would die with her every time. He would just keep living a life with an emptiness in his heart. It wasn’t easy.

  Life had definitely changed through the centuries. One thing was still the same, though. Segana, in charge of him as his maker and now the head of security for the president of the Italian Republic. She always managed to secure high profile positions and took Zev and his friend and former slave gladiator, Arvid the Norse, with her. As if getting stolen from their own countries wasn’t enough, they had to fight for survival every single day. Both were her sex toys, but while she enjoyed Arvid, she was obsessed with Zev.

  Her demanding position came at a high cost to Segana as she now worked long hours and spent much of the time out of the city. She didn’t have much spare time for Zev or Arvid to satisfy her sexual appetite and he was grateful he would be too busy to dedicate many hours to the bitch responsible for murdering
the love of his life. He didn’t care that under vampire law she was his maker, he had no love for her. She had murdered his beloved Hosidia and turned him into a damned soul for eternity.

  No time for self-pity, though. It was time to pick up Arvid and make their way to the Quirnal Palace, where the president lived and worked.

  After greeting the president, Zev and Arvid took their places outside his office. The elevator door opened and a woman in her late twenties exited, making her way towards them. He watched every step she took, her long legs covered by black pants, as graceful a gazelle. Her jacket, tailored and buttoned at the front, still emphasised her generous breasts. The closer she came, the harder it was to keep his fangs retracted. She had a particular scent that was very familiar. Against his will, the hardness of his cock strained against his pants. Thankfully, his jacket was long enough to cover the evidence of his arousal.

  Zev tensed. The closer she came, the more the desire for her slender white neck escalated. She stopped between them, looking at Arvid, then Zev.

  “The president is already in his office?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Arvid.

  “Can you both have a look at this two page document and let me know if it’s an accurate accounting of the details of the incident?” She gave Zev the yellow folder she’d been holding.

  “It won’t take long, just a few minutes. Please sign both pages,” she said.

  When Zev reached for the folder, his fingers touched her wrist. For a split second he felt dizzy, then heat rushed through his body, memories of thousands of years ago flooding back.

  His Hosidia.

  No other woman’s skin burned his fingertips like Hosidia’s.

  The last time he saw his beloved Hosidia was 140 years earlier. And here she was now, Natalia. Though she looked slightly different and had a different name his love for her was still a burning flame. He wanted to call her name aloud, to hold her into his arms like he used to, but he had to keep his composure for fear of getting her killed—again.

  His legs gave out a bit, but he calmed himself quickly, though his eyes stayed on her. His fangs were descending involuntarily. That couldn’t be helped. Neither could the feeling of wanting her.